--- title: "Lawrence Joseph Vilardo | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Lawrence Joseph Vilardo U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York - State: New York - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, W.D. New York, 2015-present - United States district judge for the Western District of New York, appointed in 2015 by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate 88–0 - Founding partner of Connors & Vilardo, LLP, Buffalo, NY (1986–2015) - Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1980-1981 ### Education - Harvard University — J.D. (1980) - Canisius College — B.A. (1977) - Canisius University ### Additional information - Private practice, Buffalo, NY, 1981-2015 - Date of birth: 1955-01-01 - handling civil and criminal litigation at trial and appellate levels - Canisius High School - Birth place: Buffalo, NY ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394811) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394811) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394811) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8645/lawrence-joseph-vilardo/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8645/lawrence-joseph-vilardo/) - [Wikidata: Lawrence J. Vilardo](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19564473) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo", "name": "Lawrence Joseph Vilardo | KnowJudges", "description": "Lawrence Joseph Vilardo, U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo#judge", "name": "Lawrence Joseph Vilardo", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394811", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8645/lawrence-joseph-vilardo/" ], "birthDate": "1955", "birthPlace": "Buffalo, NY", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Canisius College" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Harvard University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Canisius High School" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Canisius University" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "New York", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/new-york" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lawrence Joseph Vilardo", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/lawrence-joseph-vilardo" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 358 | 44 | 1.1 | 44 | | 2y | 630 | 129 | 1.7 | 129 | | 5y | 1473 | 759 | 5 | 759 | | 10y | 3163 | 2368 | 8.3 | 2368 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Judge and named-part rules #### Communications with chambers The Court requests that courtesy copies of motion papers over 50 pages be provided to Chambers. Counsel should refer to the Local Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure regarding briefing schedules (see Local Rule of Civil Procedure 7(b) and Local Rule of Criminal Procedure 12(b)). See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding. [Official rules document](https://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/content/hon-lawrence-j-vilardo) · Source page web_or_saved_capture · Collected 2026-10-27 #### Motion practice Unless the Court previously provided a date, notices of motion should not contain return dates. Sur-replies will not be accepted unless ordered by the Court. The Court will schedule oral argument if necessary. Parties requesting oral argument should so state in their notice of motion or responding papers. See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding. [Official rules document](https://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/content/hon-lawrence-j-vilardo) · Source page web_or_saved_capture · Collected 2026-10-27 #### Adjournments A schedule may be modified only for good cause and with the Court’s consent. Counsel may submit letter requests for an adjournment or extension of time only if the request is made at least five days before the deadline and only with the consent of opposing counsel. Otherwise, a motion for an adjournment or extension of time must be filed with the Court. See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding. [Official rules document](https://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/content/hon-lawrence-j-vilardo) · Source page web_or_saved_capture · Collected 2026-10-27 #### Motion practice The participation of relatively inexperienced attorneys in all court proceedings—including conferences, oral arguments, hearings, and trials—is strongly encouraged. Of course, any attorney who appears in court should have the authority and experience necessary for the proceeding. For example, an attorney attending a scheduling conference should have the authority to commit his or her client to a schedule and should be prepared to address other matters likely to arise, such as whether the Court should schedule a settlement conference before the assigned Magistrate Judge. And when a relatively inexperienced attorney needs supervision at a court proceeding to ensure that the client is represented competently, a supervising attorney should be present. See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding. [Official rules document](https://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/content/hon-lawrence-j-vilardo) · Source page web_or_saved_capture · Collected 2026-10-27 ### Shared court rules - [Western District of New York — Local Rules of Civil Procedure](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/ny-shared-set-5c1f572e43f14286bea8) — WDNY federal district-court civil proceedings only; not criminal proceedings or Bankruptcy Court. [Official source](https://www.nywd.uscourts.gov/sites/nywd/files/2025%20Local%20Rules%20of%20Civil%20Procedure%20FINAL%20-%20v3-1.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.